Soren's POV
I always did my duty.
Diligently. Quietly. Without question.
I was a single male. Many females had approached me, but I never felt a real connection. I longed for a partner who could be my equal—someone strong, grounded, and genuine. The idea of being just one of many, especially to a bratty female who saw mates as accessories, never appealed to me. And so, I remained single by choice.
As the temporary guardian of the village, I had two scheduled patrols—one just as the sun touched the horizon in the morning, and another before it dipped below the mountains at dusk. Day after day, the same pattern. The same skies. The same routine.
But that morning, I veered off course.
Not for any reason. Maybe out of boredom. Maybe because I wanted some change.
So I flew farther than usual, letting the wind guide me towards the edge of the forest. The sun was rising behind me, casting golden streaks across the clouds.
Then I noticed something in the sky.
Something was flying—no, someone. A figure was there in the sky.
That's when I saw her.
At first, I assumed it was some reckless male showing off. But as I neared, I caught the glint of black fabric, a flicker of sunlight bouncing off dark, wavy hair.
A female.
Her wings flapped unevenly. Untrained. Having no stability. She was clearly losing control.
But what caught me off guard wasn't her flying. It was her.
She was... beautiful.
Her skin glowed warm in the morning light—neither pale nor sun-worn, but something in between, like the glow of heated amber. Her black dress whipped in the wind. Her wavy black hair framed a sharp, determined face, and those eyes—brown, wide—shimmering when the sun hit them just right.
She had wings. And a tail.
A dragon. For sure. There was no doubt.
I'd seen a dragon before—once in the Beast City. Towering, proud, powerful. But this was something else. I had never seen a female dragon. And if she is this pretty she should have a mate. But I looked around and could find no one. I could not even sense a presence.
And she was plummeting straight toward me.
She flew closer—unsteady, her wings flapping awkwardly. I narrowed my eyes, observing her.
"Female," I called out over the wind. "Why are you out here alone? Do you need help?"
She just blinked at me, tilting her head slightly—like I was the one who didn't make sense. No response. Just... staring. Curious eyes.
I wanted to prevent her from falling seeing her unstable flying so I moved closer.
And then it happened.
A sudden gust. My wing clipped hers—lightly, but enough to throw her off. Her balance snapped. She spiraled downwards.
"Damn it," I muttered, diving instantly.
She was falling fast. I tucked my wings in and bolted after her like a hawk on prey—but with no intention to harm.
I caught up just in time, wrapped my arms around her as tightly as I could. Her weight hit my chest, and I knew there was no time to slow the fall. No altitude left. No space.
I shifted mid-air, letting go of my wings. My beastform disappeared in a flash, and I crashed with her locked in my arms. I twisted my body, shielding her as we landed hard against the forest floor.
It should have hurt. But somehow—we were okay.
I lied there on the ground calming myself from the huge fall. And then the female woke up.
She wasn't panicking or yelling. But I could feel even with my eyes closed that she was blatantly—very blatantly—observing me.
Her gaze trailed down my face, to my chest, lower—
Her fingers traced my abs. Lightly. Like she didn't even realize she was doing it.
It tickled.
I raised a brow, one hand still behind her back.
"Stared enough?" I asked dryly.
That snapped her out of it.
Her eyes widened. A deep blush spread across her cheeks, then her ears, and she scrambled off me like I was suddenly on fire. A flustered mess. Her lips fumbled for words, asking if I was alright.
Hah. What a sight.
I slowly got up watching her fix her dress and avoid eye contact like her life depended on it.
Well, I guess the day decided to surprise me—just enough to rise above the usual dull.
The female stood in front of me—wobbly, wide-eyed, clearly disoriented. But there was no mistaking what she was.
A dragon.
My eyes swept over her again—wings dark and strong, though barely controlled, a tail that twitched like she hadn't gotten used to it yet. And her face... confused, blinking too much, lips slightly parted like she hadn't heard a single word I just said.
Definitely new.
I stood to my full height, watching her like a puzzle I hadn't decided to solve yet. She barely reached my shoulder.
"Why was a female dragon flying alone?" I asked calmly, folding my arms. "That too without a mate?"
She froze. Her expression turned into something between what did he just say and am I hallucinating?
I narrowed my gaze and took a step forward, subtly sniffing the air.
No scent markers. No mate bond. No protection. Nothing.
"Hm," I muttered. "Your flying is unstable."
Another sniff. "And no scent of mates."
A pause.
I studied her again, more slowly this time. "Well, dragons are rare," I said out loud. "And I've never seen one in this region."
I cocked my head, almost amused. "Did you hatch recently or something? Because, honestly, if I hadn't caught you mid-fall, you'd have cracked your skull wide open."
She just stood there blinking at me, still too shocked to respond. I let a breath out through my nose. Either she was hiding something, or she was completely clueless.
I asked her questions, but she wasn't replying. Was she dumb? And I blurted that out in front of her.
When she finally opened her mouth, she was all sharp words and temper. Claimed I'd made her fall. Loud, dramatic, and shouting at me. Typical female. But this one had no scent of mates.
I introduced myself to her and in this conversation, I got to know her name. Rayna. The name was unfamiliar I hadn't heard it before.
For her safety, I advised her to come with me but suddenly she made a sound of pain. She said something was burning on her back. When I turned her around and saw the mark on her back my eyes widened.
A strange mark flared on her back—glowing red, like branded fire. Its shape wild. I narrowed my eyes. I had never seen anything like it before—not in any of my travels, nor in the stories shared by the elders or the village chief. Whatever it was, it pulsed with something ancient... and dangerous. I got a feeling it wasn't ordinary.
I told her to hide it. No point drawing unnecessary attention in the village.
She listened without shouting at me. She wrapped her dress in a way that hid her mark. That surprised me.
Even thanked me.
I offered her a lift. Judging by how she flew, walking would be safer for the forest. For the forest, not her.
She agreed—sarcastic, smug, but adorable. So I shifted, knelt down, and let her climb onto my back. Her grip was light.
As we soared above the forest canopy, I glanced back. Rayna sat quietly, but her eyes were wide—curious, almost childlike. She was soaking in the sights, gazing at the trees, the sky, the distant river with a kind of wonder that felt unfamiliar. Like she'd never seen anything like it before.
We reached the village soon after. I landed a little away from the main entrance—far enough to avoid drawing attention. She slid off my back carefully.
"Hide your wings and tail," I told her, voice low. "Unless you want to be swarmed with stares and endless questions."
She didn't know how to shift from her beastform so I explained it to her.
I briefed her on what to expect inside the village. Told her about the guards, the curious stares, and most importantly—the village chief. "We'll need her acknowledgment for you to stay here," I explained.
Rayna listened silently but attentively. Her brows furrowed slightly, taking it all in without a word. That mark on her back still sat heavily in my mind. But I'll look into it later.
The village chief... she was wise. A little old, yes, but sharp. There was barely anything that slipped past her notice. She had the kind of knowledge that made you tread carefully with your words. But she was kind too, and fair. Overall she was good chief, and she was not at all selfish.
We went towards the village.
I stole one more glance at the girl walking beside me.
As we approached the village entrance, one of the guards spotted me and straightened up immediately, raising a fist to his chest in greeting. I nodded in acknowledgment.
But the other one... his eyes were fixed—not on me, but on Rayna.
I noticed it instantly.
The way he looked at her—too long, too bold. Like he was already planning how to court her. Shameless. No patience, no respect. She hadn't even taken a step inside the village yet, and he was already sizing her up.
I didn't say a word. Just turned slightly and locked eyes with him. Gave him a look cold enough to freeze fire.
He looked away at once, shifting uncomfortably under my stare. Good. He got the message.
I didn't like it. The staring and the idea that someone might try to court her the moment she stepped in. I felt uncomfortable. I felt protective. Yeah I was the guardian of the village so maybe it was natural for me to feel protective of beings. Including her.
We finally reached the village chief's house. Things were going smoothly—Rayna's presence was acknowledged and talks about assigning her a hut were underway.
Until the chaos started.
A commotion erupted outside—voices raised, males bickering, all scrambling for attention like pups fighting over scraps. I didn't even have to look to know what it was about.
Typical.
The Wet Season was approaching.
It always made single males... impatient. Restless. Desperate. If they didn't find a mate before it hit, they'd be stuck waiting through the entire cycle—unable to mate, share heat, or have a partner. But that didn't mean they had to behave like uncivilized fools.
I caught Rayna's eyes. She looked overwhelmed.
The chief read the situation quickly and gave me a nod.
I stepped forward without a word, signaling Rayna to follow me. As we moved away from the gathering crowd, I kept my pace steady and my senses alert. She didn't protest—just walked beside me silently.
Good.
Let the others make fools of themselves.
I had no intention of letting her get caught in that nonsense.
We walked in silence for a while. The crowd's noise faded behind us, replaced by the gentle sounds of the forest—rustling leaves, distant birdcalls, the soft crunch of our footsteps on the earth.
Finally, I pointed towards her hut.
"There you go. Your haven in the Vukari village." I said.
When we reached the spot, I stepped aside and let her take it in.
A modest hut. The river was nearby. Two rooms. Solidly built with mud walls and a thatched roof. It had a small clearing out front and a tree just behind it that provided shade. Quiet. But serene.
Rayna was looking around the hut when I said "My hut's nearby. But it's up there—in that tree," I paused and nodded toward the tree just a short distance away. "My place is up there."
She followed my gaze and blinked up at the massive tree. She admired my hut I saw it in her eyes, sparkling.
"I stay there," I said, keeping my voice neutral. "Like the chief said, you can call me if you need anything."
I paused.
"But don't get used to it. I'm not your servant, so unless it's important, don't bother me."
My words might've sounded blunt, but I meant them. Still... a part of me hoped she would need something. Just not anything foolish.
Not that I'd admit that out loud.
She crossed her arms and muttered, "Yeah, yeah... thanks for bringing me here."
I nodded once. "No problem."
I didn't wait around for more. With a quick stretch of my wings, I pushed off the ground and flew up toward my treehouse.
I didn't look back, but somehow, I could still picture her standing there—arms crossed, chin up, acting like she didn't care.
From the high windows of my hut, I had a clear line of sight to her hut—and to her.
I hadn't planned to watch. I told myself I was just... curious. It wasn't like I had nothing better to do. But somehow, I found myself leaning forward slightly, arms crossed, eyes fixed on that stubborn, unpredictable female.
Rayna.
I saw her walking in the direction of the river.
She returned with a bundle of pebbles, then vanished into the forest edge, only to come back lugging wood and branches twice her size. I could see her struggling, muttering to herself, yanking thorny sticks out with a scowl on her face. She tied everything together—no rope, just bark and grass—and marched back to her hut like she'd done it a hundred times.
She had no tools, no help, no beast strength—but she didn't hesitate. No complaints. Just effort.
Then she started building.
I narrowed my eyes slightly as she cleared the dirt and arranged those stones with surprising precision. Everything was visible from her window. She built a flat base, pebbles around the sides to contain the fire—clever. When she knelt and began stacking wood for kindling, I tilted my head, mildly impressed. Most females I'd seen would've either panicked or called someone for help by now.
Not her.
And then she tried to light the fire.
I almost swooped down when I saw her hunched over, grinding a stick furiously into a log, her arms shaking from effort. Sweat clung to her temples, but she didn't stop. Not even when it clearly wasn't working.
She cursed at the sticks, muttered things I couldn't hear from this distance, and then suddenly—smoke.
A flicker.
And a flame. She lighted fire!? Without even calling anyone for help?
She built it. On her own.
She actually did it.
I let out a low whistle, more to myself than anyone. "What else can you do, Rayna?" I murmured to myself.
Then she went back out, caught two fish like it was nothing, cleaned them messily—and now she was setting up a roasting rack using Y-shaped sticks, balancing the fish with a stick above the fire. It was new I hadn't seen this technique before.
I leaned back slightly, one arm resting on my knee.
She was messy, but also resourceful.
And more than a little interesting.
I wasn't sure what to make of her yet—but something told me I'd be watching her a lot more.
That smell.
Oh.
That glorious, mouthwatering smell.
I sniffed the air again just to be sure. The scent wafted through the trees—warm, smoky, rich.
Fish. Roasting slowly over the fire.
My stomach growled. Loud.
I scowled at my gut like it had personally betrayed me.
"Shut up. We're supposed to be dignified."
I shifted awkwardly. I couldn't just sit here like a hungry weirdo staring from a tree.
I mean... I could. I was. But still.
Ahem. I mean, I should probably check on her. For official reasons only. The village chief did ask me to keep an eye on her.
Yes. That's it. It's my duty.
Not because I'm curious. Not because the smell is driving me insane or because I'm weirdly intrigued by this small, chaotic female who is roasting fish which smells delectable.
Yup. Just fulfilling my responsibilities. I should go there.
Still, I stayed right where I was, arms crossed, tail flicking impatiently.
For now, I told myself I was observing.
Just keeping an eye on the new settler. Making sure she doesn't burn down the hut.
Definitely not because watching her somehow made the world less boring.
...Or because I couldn't stop looking.
Ugh.
...I'm going down there.